"MY hope is that we shall see people from all different backgrounds, races, faiths and cultures learn to live together in a positive and productive way, working for the good of the community. I hope people will see that the future will be shaped by the way we work together."

Those words express the hopes for the next millennium of the Bishop of Bradford, th Rt Rev David Smith, who was guest of honour at the celebrations at Ilkley's All Saints Church.

More than 400 people attended a special bonfire, multi-media presentation in the church and a firework display to mark the new millennium.

All Saints' Rev Paul Tudge said: "It was a wonderful occasion and there was standing room only in the church. Everybody was really good-natured and had a wonderful time. There were no disturbances and everybody entered into the spirit of the event."

It is a sobering thought that at the turn of the last century, people had no idea that as well as the huge technical advances the future would bring, within 50 years they would also witness the two most

cataclysmic wars the earth has ever seen.

Commenting on his hopes for the future, Rev Tudge said: "Though the last 1,000 years has seen

terrible atrocities, it has also seen some wonderful advances in health, security and care, though not yet for everyone.

"The announcement of debt relief for the poorest nations fills me with hope that such advances can be shared by all people in the next century. I know that the greedy and violent few will influence the world, but my hope and expectation is that the caring and responsible majority will continue to change the world for the better. On New Years Eve that attitude was certainly very much in evidence."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.